An amazing occurrence happened today, Sept 18, 2025. While we were reaching out to friends and organizations, trying to help a family stay out of eviction. Another organization shared their current needs with us. Amongst those needs, there was a family needing help with clothes and diapers for a 3.5-year-old girl and another boy. We were able to connect that organization with Icurea foundation and thankfully, these families will be getting the help they need, through the combined efforts of three organizations, including HAFSA Girls club and the many volunteers. You may not be able to save the world, but you might be the difference in the life of one person. Please continue to support us and other organizations making a difference. You can make a donation here to HAFSA GIRLS CLUB.
Lessons in Patience, Persuasion, and Parental Endurance
Welcome to the second week of school in Texas, where the dust has barely settled and parents are fresh from the trenches of an annual trial by retail; back-to-school shopping. This isn’t just a shopping trip; it’s a rite of passage, a comedy of errors, and at times, a lesson in advanced negotiation. For those with tweens and teens, it’s less “quick stop at the store” and more “multi-stage expedition with emotional plot twists.”
It all begins with hope. You clutch a simple list: pens, notebooks, perhaps a pair of sneakers. This year, you tell yourself, you’ll be a paragon of order; swift, savvy, and serenely calm.
But optimism melts faster than an ice cream sandwich in August. First, your 12-year-old daughter stages a fashion coup: she refuses to wear anything that’s not been approved by the digital oracles of TikTok or Pinterest. Anything from the so-called “baby section”, which now apparently includes all sensible, affordable clothing, would be social sabotage. Meanwhile, your 14-year-old son, in a flourish of adolescent logic, insists he needs nothing. “School is a scam,” he declares, already planning his future as a van-dwelling cryptocurrency mogul. This is ninth grade.
You press onward, channeling the energy of someone who’s read self-help books and still believes in the power of positive thinking. But soon you’re seeking sanctuary beside the fitting room, calculating the cost of pants (definitely overpriced), and exchanging weary glances with fellow parents. There’s an unwritten code here, one parent naps on the sole available bench while another corrals a child debating the merits of neon versus pastel highlighters.
The school supply aisle is a battleground of crumpled lists and frazzled adults, all vying for that last lime green binder. Your teenager now covets a $98 mechanical pencil set, apparently engineered for lunar exploration, while your preteen is locked in battle with wide-ruled paper. “It’s ugly,” she protests. It’s… paper.
Somehow, against all odds, you endure. The cart is loaded. Your wallet is lighter. Your nerves are frayed. Yet through the chaos, there’s a peculiar sense of satisfaction. You witness your kids asserting their identities, making baffling choices, and sometimes melting down over the precise shade of a sticky note. This, you realize, is where they learn to express, negotiate, and discover their own quirks and where parents practice the ancient art of patience. You also realize that in between the frequent return of clothing and essentials bought, your children learnt financial lessons and stretch their budget as far as possible. Watching them make simple financial decisions like returning a $70 pair of pants because they found an equally good quality one in another store that had ongoing sales of buy one get one free which resulted in a total of $60.
You head home, trunk stuffed with supplies, mind whirring with exhaustion, heart full of love (and maybe a dash of buyer’s remorse). You made it. Another year, another marathon completed. The great back-to-school shopping safari is over, until next August.
So, to every parent who survived the fluorescent-lit frenzy, who navigated the style wars and supply skirmishes, and who now sips a lukewarm coffee with well-earned pride: Cheers. You have conquered. And, in the process, taught your children (and yourself) a little more about resilience, individuality, and the strange joy of shared chaos.
Here’s to a new school year—may your pens never leak, your binders always close, and your coffee someday be hot.
Summer is finally here, no more school stress, long homework nights, or freezing mornings! But before you spend the whole break binge-watching or endlessly scrolling, let’s talk about how you can optimize your summer and make it fun, productive, and empowering.
Here are some powerful ways to make this summer count:
1. Grow Your Faith & Character Use these slower months to strengthen your relationship with Allah (SWT). Read a new Surah, start a tafsir journal, or challenge yourself to pray sunnah regularly. Growth starts with your heart.
2. Start a Passion Project Always wanted to write a blog, launch a small business, or create art? Now’s the time. Pick one idea and go for it; you don’t need to be perfect; you just need to start!
3. Learn Something New Take an online course, learn a language, or explore a new skill like graphic design, cooking, or coding. You’d be surprised how much you can accomplish with just 30 minutes a day.
4. Get Active & Outdoors Go for a daily walk, join a local sports class, or plan a picnic with friends. Fresh air and movement can boost your mood and your confidence. Attend our upcoming events. We have week long activities that you may find interesting.
5. Build Sisterhood Plan hangouts, study circles, or even a mini summer retreat with your Hafsa Girls sisters! Community is powerful. Surround yourself with girls who uplift you. Find activities here.
6. Organize Your Life Declutter your room, set some goals, and refresh your daily routines. Start journaling or create a vision board to help you stay focused and inspired.
7. Give Back Volunteer in your community, tutor younger students, or organize a charity drive. Giving feels good; and it creates real impact.
Summer is a gift; don’t let it pass you by. Use this time to discover who you are, who you want to become, and what lights your soul on fire.
You’ve got this, girl. Let’s make this the most memorable summer yet!
Highlights of the Hafsa Girls Club 2023 Summer Camp
The Hafsa Girls Club 2023 Summer Camp was an unforgettable journey filled with growth, fun, and lasting memories. This year’s camp brought together a diverse group of girls eager to connect, learn, and embrace new opportunities. The central themes of sisterhood, fellowship, and learning created a unique environment for the girls to bond, explore new ideas, and celebrate culture and community.
Field Trips and Exploration The camp’s standout feature was the field trips, which took the girls beyond the usual camp activities. Visits to local museums, historical sites, and natural wonders broadened their perspectives and sparked curiosity. These experiences provided educational moments that extended beyond the campgrounds.
Building Sisterhood and Fellowship At the heart of the camp was the strong bond of sisterhood. The girls supported each other, worked as teams, and formed lasting connections. This sense of fellowship created an inclusive atmosphere where everyone felt valued and empowered to be themselves.
Personal Growth and Learning Throughout the camp, the girls engaged in activities that promoted personal growth, such as workshops on self-confidence, leadership, emotional intelligence, and communication. They also learned about global cultures, traditions, and values, helping them appreciate diversity and expand their worldviews.
Cultural Appreciation and Connection The camp encouraged cultural learning through arts, crafts, cooking, music, and storytelling. These activities allowed the girls to explore different cultures, fostering respect and empathy for one another’s backgrounds while promoting the beauty of cultural exchange and togetherness.
In summary, the Hafsa Girls Club 2023 Summer Camp was a transformative experience that empowered the girls, fostering sisterhood, personal growth, and an appreciation for diversity.
On November 24, 2024, Hafsa Girls Club, in collaboration with other organizations in Houston, Texas, successfully organized a food drive that made a meaningful impact on our community. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all who supported this initiative with their generous donations. Thanks to your kindness, we were able to collect a significant amount of food and supplies, including turkeys, rice, cooking oil, canned beans, tuna, and more, all of which went directly to those in need.
With your help, we provided food for over 80 families, offering them nourishment and hope during this season. The success of this event highlights the power of collaboration and community spirit. We are deeply grateful for your partnership and look forward to future opportunities to work together again. Thank you for making a difference!
With sincere gratitude, Hafsa Girls Club
Tokunbo Olympio, Dr. Ogunrinde and Sakina Lanig of Harris County Precinct 4Tokunbo Olympio and Sakina Lanig of Harris County Precinct 4Tokunbo Olympio and Shakira Oshodi
Judge Rabeea Collier was elected as judge of the 113th District Court in 2018. Judge Collier is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and was recently awarded the 2021 Jurist of the Year for the Texas Chapters of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
Judge Collier serves on the Curriculum Committee for the Texas Center for the Judiciary, which is comprised of approximately 15 judges that develop judicial education for all Texas judges. She also currently serves as an executive board member for the Association of District Judges and a board member of the Asian American Bar Association of Houston.
Thank you for having us, and sharing your time and knowledge with @hafsagirlsclub members. Every second spent with you and your team would be cherished for a very long time.
The 2022 summer camp was crowned with a grand party put together by the members of HAFSA GIRLS CLUB. Suad, Maisarah, Khadijah, Mariam, Eeman and the rest of the ladies too many to mention worked on the entire event from setting up to decor, food and refreshment cleaning up and overall awesome participants. Our wonderful parents supported us with food, drinks and snacks of all kinds. Big thanks to Teasers Party Concessions for ensuring that we had enough sugar rush by providing us with the snow cones, Cotton candy and Popcorn. We hope next years party will be bigger and better by His special grace.
With the rising number of cases of coronavirus all over the world, we can not but look out for one another. We need to remind our family and friends that we care for them while maintaining a healthy physical distance
Call your family, friends, and neighbors to check on how they are doing.
Send text messages and emails that will motivate and encourage others during this period
Do not send unconfirmed or false news to anyone.
Avoid physical contact to reduce the spread of coronavirus (no touching, kissing or hugging) maintain a distance of at least 6ft when in public.
Game nights are super essential during this period like trivia, card games and karaoke
Group video chats at an agreed time to make sure you can keep in contact with everyone while also seeing how they are Fairing.
. Wipe toilet seats before you use it and after you use it,
. Use hand sanitizer and wear your latex gloves,
. Wipe down everything you buy at the grocery store
In the comment section, write other ways you can prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Remember, when you protect yourself you protect others. follow us on Facebook and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our Newsletter for more information and posts.
The Authour is Tokunbo Olympio, President and founder of HAFSA Girls Club. She loves cooking, reading, writing and spending time with children.
If you have Coronavirus symptoms will not show until 5 days of being affected.
Corona means crown in Latin.
Symptoms of Coronavirus are dry cough, fever, headache and others
You can get coronavirus by touching your nose, eyes or mouth.
Its’ destination is mostly the lungs, intestine and the spleen
When it enters the body, it is just one but then starts to expand and multiply in the body.
After about ten days the body is covered with millions off body cells infected and billions of viruses swarming the lungs.
Coronavirus is more than the flu because it is way more dangerous.
A fast pandemic is very rapid and cost many lives but a slow pandemic will not be remembered in history, so in this case coronavirus is a fast pandemic because of its rapid spread.
